NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Davidson County Criminal Court judge has found the man accused of gunning down a Belmont University student in 2023 competent to stand trial.
Shaquille Taylor's attorneys had argued that he is incompetent to go to trial on murder charges for the death of Jillian Ludwig.
Court appointed psychologists had found Taylor incompetent in several previous cases, at least one of them, citing Taylor's intellectual disability that was diagnosed when he was 3 years old.
During a two-day hearing last month to determine Taylor's competency in the Ludwig murder, prosecutors presented new evidence showing Taylor able to discuss the case with another psychologist.
NewsChannel 5's Legal Analyst Nick Leonardo explained that "When you’re dealing with competency, it’s the issue of whether or not you can assist in your defense. Are you able to understand what’s going on at trial? Can you help your lawyer? Can you tell your lawyer who was there and why you did it."
According to Metro Police, Taylor shot at a car in November of 2023 and one of the bullets struck 18-year-old Ludwig, a college freshman at Belmont, while she was walking in a park near campus.
Jillian's mother and father, Jessica and Matt, sat across the courtroom from Taylor during last month's hearing.
"[Taylor] didn’t appear to be incompetent to us at all," the parents said to NewsChannel5 Investigates.
They also referenced the videos prosecutors played in court during the competency hearing.
One was recorded by Metro Police right after Taylor's arrest for Ludwig's murder, which exhibits Taylor sobbing loudly after a detective tells him that the shots he'd fired killed a teenage girl.
Another recording includes a video of DA's own expert psychologist evaluating Taylor.
You can hear Taylor discuss the shooting and describing what happened.
"It was like an accident. It wasn't like I was aiming for her," Taylor said in the recording.
And when Taylor learned there's surveillance video of the shooting, he asked the psychologist to see it, explaining that he could help determine what evidence there is against him.
The video includes back and forth conversations between the doctor and Taylor:
The psychologist asked Taylor, "Can you remember this?"
Taylor replied, "Yes."
In response to the recordings, Matt Ludwig told NewsChannel 5 Investigates, "The video interviews demonstrate to us that he understands, he knew what he did, he knew what the consequences could be. He can use terminology that would be used in a court setting, he understands what that means. That was clear to us."
After the two-day hearing, Criminal Court Judge Steve Dozier filed his 24-page ruling with the Clerk's Office.
In it, he explains how he came to the conclusion that Taylor is competent to stand trial.
"The Court hereby finds Defendant has not currently established by a preponderance of the evidence that he is incompetent to stand trial. The Court recognizes limitations caused by Defendant's diagnosed intellectual disability and encourages his defense counsels to submit accommodations for the Court to consider implementing at trial," Dozier conlcluded in the report.
Upon learning of the judge's ruling, Jessica Ludwig told NewsChannel 5 Investigates, "I am so relieved."
A trial date has not been set in the case yet, but is expected soon.
RELATED: Jillian Ludwig's parents believe videos show daughter's killer is competent to stand trial
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